


Oh Turpentine, Erase Me Whole

by NerdButton



Category: RWBY
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Frosen Steel Week (RWBY), OT3, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27273238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdButton/pseuds/NerdButton
Summary: Weiss never noticed when things changed, or how. Just that they did. One day, they were Ruby, and Weiss, and Penny.The next, RubyandWeissandPenny.Frosen Steel Week 2020, Day 5: "Oh, I'm in love."
Relationships: Background Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long - Relationship, Background Poly parents, Frosen Steel - Relationship, Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose, Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee, Penny Polendina/Weiss Schnee, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 21
Kudos: 188





	Oh Turpentine, Erase Me Whole

**Author's Note:**

> A little piece for Frosen Steel week on tumblr! I love this trio, they're so sweet and wholesome T.T 
> 
> The prompt I chose to do was "Oh, I'm in love."
> 
> I hope it works out okay, I banged this out in a few hours and it has not been proofread ^^'
> 
> I can be found on Tumblr at @shallitickleyournerdbutton!
> 
> Enjoy!

Ruby and Weiss.

Weiss and Ruby.

Two years, that's how it's been. Plus Blake and Yang, of course.

It's always been the four of them against the world - the impossible and improbable team RWBY. Very few people understand how they all manage to work together so well, least of all the girls in question themselves.

But, they do.

Or, they do again, anyways. Blake and Yang seem to have finally started to repair their relationship, and the rift they had allowed to form between them. And if Weiss had happened to notice them sneaking off together when they think no one will notice... well, she's not going to say anything about it.

It's almost cute, how they think they're being sneaky or in any way subtle. Yet, still definitely nicer than the awkwardness that clung to them both as recently as a few short weeks ago, sending even Ruby running at the worst of times. They're better now, though. Team RWBY is back together again.

....Even if Blake and Yang are off doing their own thing a lot of the time. She could hardly blame them, what with the weight of the world on their shoulders, for wanting a little distraction.

And Ruby and Weiss was just fine with her.

It really was.

She never even noticed it changing to Ruby and Weiss _and Penny._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If she were to try and pick a singular moment that marked the beginning, it would have to be that moment on the airship after leaving Winter behind. She didn't want to leave Winter, but her sister had given them no choice in the matter, forcing their hand by calling soldiers to her position.

Weiss had lingered, even as Yang continued to shout her name, demanding she get on the ship. Everyone else was already onboard - everyone, except her and Penny. The newly-realised maiden had also frozen by her side, the same unwillingness in her at leaving Winter in such a vulnerable condition. They'd shared a look, an unspoken moment of understanding only shattered by Winter's stern, and progressively more irritated, voice.

"Go! Both of you, go! I'll be fine."

Penny had been the one who broke first, a dullness in her eyes that clashed horribly with the chipper girl Weiss was familiar with, grabbing lightly ahold of one of Weiss' arms and dragging her onto the ship. She'd fallen into the bench next to Ruby, the two redheads leaning against one another in a fleeting search for comfort as Yang shut the airship doors with a final and obtrusive bang, lilac eyes flicking worried between those who had just boarded.

"You guys okay?" She had asked, answered by silence.

Ruby and Penny continued sitting against one another, ignorant to Yang's question and lost in their own thoughts - likely ones fuelled by yet another clash with Cinder.

Weiss almost startles at seeing Yang focused on her when she looks away from the two sitting together, concern in her eyes as she questions Weiss without words. Nodding an assurance to her, Weiss moves to sit herself by Penny's free side, the reality of everything that has just happened sinking in finally and making her stomach churn.

_Cinder nearly got the winter maiden powers... She almost killed Winter, almost killed Penny..._

_Again._

Chancing a glance to the girl on her side, Weiss is struck by how very close they came to losing her again. But more than that, is the sheer relief at how things did play out - Winter isn't a maiden, thank Brothers for that. Her sister really doesn't need another target on her back; her name, job, and _attitude_ manage to do that just fine already.

And... Penny had saved her. Saved Winter's life, in probably more ways than Weiss could even stomach to imagine.

Penny jumps a little when Weiss wraps her hands around her arm and cuddles into her, a shy smile on her face as she leans into Weiss the same way she had Ruby. She glances away, down to her hands which flex nervously. Relieved as Weiss is that she doesn't need to worry about Winter, doesn't mean she's not worried about Penny - sweet, kind, _pure_ Penny.

When Weiss looks over at Ruby, leaning up to see over the top of Penny's dipped head, she looks a million miles away - a furrow to her brow, and a hardness to her eyes that defies her usual perkiness. Ruby must feel Weiss watching her, as she looks over with those unusual silver eyes of hers, gleaming like polished gunmetal. They speak without words, an understanding passing between them with that short shared look.

No one is getting to hurt Penny. _No one._

Not if they can help it.

Ruby looks away, down to where Penny is still fidgeting with her hands. Weiss watches Ruby slide one of her own over Penny's, copies the movement herself until they each have one of Penny's grasped in their own.

Penny turns tired eyes on them, so tired in a way that Weiss didn't even know she could look, her gaze landing on Ruby first and then Weiss. With another fragile smile, she squeezes both of their hands with her own, leans gently against each of their shoulders again before settling once more.

_"Thank you."_

They know what it means, she doesn't need to voice her thoughts if she can't right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weiss had thought, after that first _highly informative_ year of living with Ruby at Beacon, that her days of being surprised by their team leader were over.

Oh, how wrong she was.

That's not to say that the surprises are bad things - some are bad, some are good, and some... are just _odd_. Much like the girl herself. Brothers above, Weiss has never in her life seen someone attempt to eat food through their nose before Ruby and, maker preserving, she never will have to again.

But this...

This, she could never have been prepared for.

Weiss knew she would flinch, still, anytime she was referred to as nothing but a surname. A silly thing, trivial compared to those with bigger, more tangible problems.

It still hurts.

She thought no one noticed, when she would recoil from it - the name "Schnee" hissed like a curse and, she supposes, to many it is. No one has ever stopped to think, that it is every bit a scar for _her_ as anyone. That she's had years to lick the wounds it's left on her, and the many more years she will need before they ever come anything close to "healed."

And somewhere along the way, Ruby must have noticed.

Some Mantelian had stumbled upon their group during their frantic regrouping as they prepared to flee Mantle, the thick stench of alcohol clinging to his clothing as he staggered his way to their group, mumbled shouts at the air only focusing as he gained ground on them.

He'd sweeped his eyes across their group, grumbling angrily about huntsmen and soldiers, until his bleary eyes had landed on Weiss and her fair features recognisable by any in Mantle. With a scowl, he'd stumbled towards her, blocked by Qrow from getting closer as he changed his aimless ranting to a targeted attack.

"And you! Fucking _Schnees_... The worst fucking thing to happen to us here in Mantle, you and Ironwood. Have a good look, I'll be dead in a few days and it'll be all your fucking faults, you prissy little Schnee bit--"

The words didn't sting as much as the implication of them being spat at her - that countless people, _her own people_ , still see her father's actions and consider them her own. She'd frozen, not as quick to defend herself as she had been for Blake, for any of the people she loved, watching Qrow begin to push the man away from their group.

His efforts are stopped, by Ruby out of them all, Crescent Rose unfolding a hair away from the drunkard's throat and forcing Qrow to dodge out of its way.

They'd watched, time at a standstill, as he glanced down to the barrel pointing right at him, before glancing up to meet the silent fury swirling like storm clouds in Ruby's eyes.

"Say it again."

"I-- I--"

"Say 'Schnee' one more time. **I. Dare. You.** "

No one spoke a word, neither the drunk nor their group, hearts stilled as one as Ruby held her pose at the front of them all. In front of _Weiss_ , standing small and yet larger than all of Remnant as she remained blocking the man's path towards her partner until eventually he had turned and bolted without so much as a glance back.

When she finally put her weapon away again, she had glanced over at Weiss, anger clenching in her jaw in a way foreign to the sweet girl they all knew. A nod of her head, and she was back to planning their next moves like nothing had even happened and Weiss would blame Blake and her cheesy romance books for the thought that passed through her mind, however brief it may have been.

_Oh, I think I'm in love._

Ruby may still surprise Weiss - and yes, sometimes it's bad, or odd, but sometimes...

Sometimes it's good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Penny learns from the people around her.

Weiss has seen it for herself, how she has morphed from the stilted motions and speech patterns she once held, to something closer to... well, human.

That's not to say that Penny is anything less than human, she's very much a person of her own and they'd certainly fight anyone who tried to state otherwise, friend or foe.

But, never once had it ever crossed her mind that Penny would learn from _her_ though.

The simple things are the ones that stand out the most - the first time Penny laughs at one of Weiss' sarcastic comments, Weiss actually does a double take to reaffirm that yes, it really was her who had giggled. The living android who couldn't tell sarcasm if it had snuck up and chomped on her shoulder, back when they had first met her.

The first time Penny snarks at someone herself, an offhand jibe at Qrow no one had been expecting, she turns to Weiss with a grin as if to say, "Look what I did."

And for the second time, too many times for comfort, Weiss has the same thought as she had with Ruby.

_Oh, I think I'm in love._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Penny has always been closer to Ruby than the rest of them, they bonded virtually immediately in a way that Weiss is absolutely a little jealous of. Seeing Penny swoop in and literally sweep Ruby off her feet that first day in Atlas was certainly very sweet. As were Pietro's words afterwards, when Ruby had joked about Penny's tendency to tackle-hug people.

"Actually, she only really does that with you."

Or.... she _had_ only done that to Ruby.

Weiss tries her hardest to hide the shock, and excited flutter of her heart, the first time Penny does it to her.

They'd had to split into groups, Weiss going with Blake and Yang, leaving Ruby to take point on another with Penny. They were more than capable together, but that doesn't mean she doesn't worry.

Her only warning of the incoming friendly assault was Ruby's giggling, and Penny's chipper - and _loud_ \- voice calling out from somewhere up high.

"Friend Weiss!"

The hug had been enough to knock some of the wind from her lungs, Penny swirling them at high speed up into the air and past the rooftop Ruby was waving up at them from, a lone splash of red amongst a sea of grey. Eventually, she had been put back on the ground.

Even if her heart was still somewhere in the clouds, it managed to beat hard enough to hurt at having Ruby appear by Penny's side, a pair of matching happy expressions at seeing her safe and unharmed.

They'd tugged her along between them, chatting animatedly about the Grimm they'd had to face off against. She wasn't paying too much attention on that though, focused instead on the hands gripping each of hers.

Catching Yang and Blake smirk at each other from the corner of her eye only made her heart pound harder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If Weiss thought she had gotten off easy, she was dead wrong - Blake and Yang had simply decided to wait a bit, before teasing her.

Something she wouldn't find out, until stumbling across them both early one morning, wandering down into the kitchen of the building they were camped out in. The sight of Blake curled in Yang's lap in a chair only barely big enough for two was cute enough, but at this point she was virtually duty-bound to tease them for it, pointing an accusing finger across the room at their close proximity.

"Hey, dorm rules apply! Leave room for the gods between you both."

Yang levels a stare at her across Blake's shoulder, a challenge in her eye. "We're not in the dorm."

"And I don't think you get to critique us anymore." Blake states flatly, sipping at her tea with playfully narrowed eyes.

It's enough to stop Weiss in her tracks, hand on the door to the kitchen as she frowns at them with all the grumpiness they've come to expect from her so early.

"What do you mean?"

They look at each other, insufferably smug even through that tiny little glance, before turning the attention back on her.

"Ruby."

"Penny."

She ignores them, turning into the kitchen properly to hide the flush on her face their knowing grins are prompting.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

But she does. Oh, Weiss knows _exactly_ what they're talking about and she'll be damned before she admits it.

"Whatever you say, Weiss."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She initially hopes it's Ruby who catches her, expects it to be. That would be the option that makes the most sense in the moment, Weiss having been caught out of the air many times by her partner, and the same in return, during the occasional misstep in battle.

The knock from the ancient grimm that sent her skyward was more a nuisance than dangerous, her aura still remaining and absorbing the damage but not the impact. She feels arms brace under her, plucking her from freefall before she has the chance to right herself, turning up to greet the cheerful face she expects.

And a cheerful face she receives, just not the one she had been expecting.

Penny grins down at her, vibrant red hair whipping behind her as she appraises the girl in her arms. "Friend Weiss, are you okay? That was a dangerous move, you could have been seriously hurt!"

It takes her a moment to find words, stunned as she is by being held like a princess by a girl purer than any princess there ever was. They come out stilted, and only slightly, _embarrassingly_ breathy as they do but thankfully Penny is too distracted to notice.

"I... Yes, I'm fine. More than fine. Thank you for catching me, Penny."

And Penny beams at her, bright as the sun shining above their heads, setting her down on the ground next to a concerned Ruby, who runs to their sides as they touch back down. As one, they check her over, quickly, before running off back into the fight once satisfied that she's truly okay.

But she's not.

She's happy Penny caught her, disappointed Ruby didn't, caught up in the memories of the worry in both their eyes at the thought of something hurting her and _oh..._

_I'm in love._

_With both of them._

Weiss swore once she would go to her grave before acknowledging Yang as being right about anything, and definitely before she would admit to feelings in exactly the place Yang had insinuated.

But broken clocks are right twice a day, as the saying goes, and Weiss can almost hear the funeral chimes already ringing in the distance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weiss would have rathered a bed in the dirt to this.

She had been too late, taken too long.

Penny had kissed Ruby, and Ruby kissed her back.

They hadn't even known Weiss was there, she'd gone to fetch them both from their sparring session out in the woods, a tray of tea - and far too many sugar cubes - in her hands as she went to go surprise them and coax them into having a break.

She'd only just broke the line of trees to where they had set up, when she caught sight of Penny leaning down and pulling Ruby into her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whether intending to do so or not, Weiss begins to distance herself a little from Ruby and Penny. She tells herself it's to give them some space to be together.

The fact that it allows her to lick her emotional wounds, is purely coincidental.

They're on route to Vacuo, staying at an inn on the way, when Yang comes looking for her out amongst the trees where she had been practicing her summoning. She calls out when she breaks the treeline, alerting Weiss to her presence as she approaches the fallen tree Weiss is half-sitting on.

"Hey Weissicle, I was just wanting to check in, see how you are?"

Against her will, Weiss' brows start to furrow with the slightest bit of irritation - she loves Yang, yes, but right now she really just wants to be left alone. "I'm fine? We're all alive and on route to Vacuo, it's about as much as I could ask for."

Yang just continues to eye her, blonde brow raising in question. "You're sure _that's_ as much as you want to ask for?"

And Weiss hates it when Yang does that, finally uses her big brain to needle into things that aren't even really her business. But then again, anything concerning Ruby probably is Yang's business...

"I'm... I don't really want to talk about it. It won't change anything."

Yang hums, plopping herself down by Weiss' side and just enjoys the company for a bit, watching the clouds pass high above. The silence doesn't last, Yang's voice uncharacteristically quiet as she speaks again.

"How much has Ruby told you about our family? Like, our parents specifically?"

Weiss is thrown by the change in topic, answer tilting up at the end like a question yet not really inquiring.

"Not much... I know you both had different mothers, and that you were both raised by your father."

She doesn't need to fill in the missing gap, Summer is still a sore spot for both Yang and Ruby, and having met Raven... Yea, Weiss doesn't want to say much more on that topic. Yang hums again, taking a deep breath and rolling her shoulders. When she speaks again, her voice is still quiet like she isn't sure whether she wants Weiss to hear her or not.

"I've never told Ruby, but I actually do have some more memories of our lives before Summer disappeared... Or, one memory in particular, anyways."

She looks to see if Weiss is paying attention, her gaze flicking back to the distance a second later when she confirms she has Weiss' focus.

"Dad was out in the garden playing with me and Ruby, and it was really hot out so he asked me to go into the kitchen and get some juice for us. I was barely big enough to walk, but it wasn't far and it wasn't like we were alone... And I remember someone, a woman, helping me get the juice boxes, from the cabinets that were too high for Summer to reach. It wasn't until I actually saw Raven again that I even remembered it at all. But, she was _with_ us, at least for a little while. Her, Summer, and dad."

A heavy beat of quiet passes between them as the words sit in the air, broken only by a muffled snort from Weiss.

"I always thought that two years was rather quick for Ruby to have come around..."

"Heh, me too. Now, I've not had the chance to ask dad about it, but we were a family - all five of us, at least for a few months, if nothing else."

She rises up, stretching with her arms above her head. As she turns to leave, she catches Weiss' eye just at the point before she moves fully into Weiss' blindspot.

"It can work, you know. It might not have with our parents, but you three aren't them. I think you should at least try."

And something about how she says it, so light and easy, stands out - how could she possibly know whether or not this would work?

Unless... someone else has already said something to Yang, perhaps?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For all that Weiss had built it up in her head - the nerves, the possible rejection, the potential cost of it all - it's a remarkably simple affair.

Honestly, she should have expected as much.

Ruby and Penny aren't the types to make things difficult. It's one of the many things she loves about them.

The sound of boots landing on the roof above is about as much opportunity as she was going to get to speak to them both alone, and by the time she makes her way up they're both just sitting talking with their legs hanging over the edge. Weiss has to restrain the urge to flinch at the fleeting happy expressions on their faces at the sight of her, knowing what she's about to confess to them both.

If she were less of a worrier, she'd realise she needn't worry at all. But then, she wouldn't be Weiss.

They look almost... hopeful? At seeing her approaching, they glance at each other before focusing on her.

And, she hesitates. Hates herself for it, for letting Yang talk her into this, thinking it could go any way but badly.

And maybe, if it had been any other two people, it would have. But instead, Penny's soft voice calls her name and when she looks back up they've moved. There's space between them now, just enough that she would fit there. With a little flick of her hand, Ruby gestures to her to fill that space.

If she wants.

And, by the Brothers divine, does she want to.

Tears blur her vision as she crosses the last few steps, as two sets of hands grip lightly against her own and tug her down into that space between them in a way very reminiscent of her reunion with Ruby and Yang back in Mistral all those months ago.

Warm, happy tears continue to run down her face as matching kisses are pressed to her hands, and again to her cheeks - one a piece from either redhead.

"We missed you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weiss never noticed when things changed, or how. Just that they did. One day, they were Ruby, and Weiss, and Penny.

The next, Ruby _and_ Weiss _and_ Penny.

__

And oh, she's very much in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Notes for this story:  
> The bit with Blake and Yang sitting in a chair together was based off of one of @frankielucky's comics on Tumblr, I can't remember which one so if any of you know feel free to drop me a link in the comments and I'll tag it to this story. :)
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are very welcome, so let me know what you think!


End file.
